


The Mermaid's Cove

by ElopeToTheSea



Series: Fairy Tales [2]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - The Little Mermaid Fusion, Fairy Tale Elements, Fairy Tale Retellings, Little Mermaid Elements, Lullabies, M/M, Mermaid Sora, add this to my "fairy tales but gay" series, little witch namine, the /original/ little mermaid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-05
Updated: 2019-09-22
Packaged: 2020-10-10 09:28:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 19,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20525759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElopeToTheSea/pseuds/ElopeToTheSea
Summary: Riku hadn't expected for his raft to be destroyed in a storm and almost drown.He also hadn't expected to be saved by a mysterious stranger.And he definitely hadn't expected for said stranger to be a mermaid.





	1. Chapter 1

The first thing Riku felt as he blinked awake, was the fingers that caressed his face with the utmost care. A soft, barely-there touch, light feathery as he tried to make sense of the world around him. They were cold and wet, yet so comfortable against his skin.

Just as he tried to open his eyes, a melody came to his ears. A song. So sweet and light, traveling through the air, reaching for him in the shore.

It was in a language that Riku couldn’t begin to decipher. The words swam inside his head, as the light from the rising sun hit his eyes. But even if he couldn’t understand it, he was trapped into its bittersweet tune. Like silk in the air, it brought life to every inch of that desolated place with a single note. Such a pure and sweet voice that, for an instant, Riku thought he had to be dreaming. He _had to_. Nothing else could compare.

In a poor attempt to grasp meaning of the situation, he reached forward. Blindly grasping the air, until a petite hand stopped him. It was so small and delicate against his that he was scared he might break it if he closed it too tight.

The song stopped.

A laugh.

Hidden by the rumor of the sea and the seagulls in the distance. Almost inaudible, amid the infinite air. But Riku had heard it.

It was more beautiful than the song. Softer, sweeter. With an edge of mischievousness and life that left him breathless. 

Riku opened his eyes. The saltwater stung, and the sun was hitting him directly in the face. All he could really see was a silhouette. Vague and distant, an illusion taking form in the air. Almost a vision from a dying man.

A smile.

Wide and cheery, making Riku’s body flush at the sight. The hand went to caress his face again, and this time Riku couldn’t help leaning towards. The humming of the voice returned as if lulling him back to sleep. He felt tempted to do as such, seeing how good it felt to just stay there with the stranger’s hand against his heated skin and the sound of the waves in the background.

It would be so easy to fall asleep, letting the innocence of the instant wash away into his soul for forever.

A loud bark echoed away, startling the stranger. The worry that washed in his face was quick to appear. Riku’s hand reached out again, this time to calm him down. But the boy pulled away. His eyes fidgeted from Riku’s body towards the far away horizon of the sand.

Another smile. This time, it was tinted with the watercolor sadness of a goodbye. And just like that, he was gone. Vanishing in the air like a long-lost mirage.

“Riku!” a familiar voice called.

Riku surged forward, eyes wide as he looked around.

It was the cove.

Littered around, where pieces of wood and fabric. An ache from the behind of his head came when he tried to remember what had happened. Although, by the worried look of Kairi’s face he could guess what it was.

Pluto came rushing as soon as his vision cleared completely, licking his face with long strokes of his tongue. Without being able to stop the laugh that came bursting out, he reached to pet him. Kairi, on the other hand, wasn’t so happy.

“You moron! What were you thinking!? You almost got killed!” she said. The corners of her eyes were red. He wasn’t sure if it was from the crying or staying up all night searching for the residues of the raft, but regardless it made Riku feel so incredibly guilty. 

“Sorry,” was all he could say. After all, she was right. She always was. There’s a high chance he would be dead if it weren’t for… “Wait! Where is he?”

Riku got up in a flurry moment, completely forgetting that he had been knocked out cold, just a few seconds ago. He stumbled forward, his legs giving out from the weight of his own body. Kairi was quick to reach him, so he didn’t completely fall.

“Be careful!” Kairi all but yelled. “Calm down! Where is who?”

“The boy,” Riku breathed, eye lost into the sea “The boy who saved me…”

“You were all alone when I came here,” Kairi said, eyeing him with suspicion. “You sure you didn’t hit your head too hard?”

“No,” Riku lied, ignoring the pounding on the back of his head. “He was here…He had the most beautiful voice I’ve heard…”

Kairi gave him a sympathetic smile. Riku didn’t dare look away from the sea, hoping the mysterious boy he had seen would appear again out of thin air. Just like he had vanished.

“You should rest,” Kairi said instead. “You can’t search for pretty boys like this.”

Riku nodded, absent-mindedly. His eyes were fixated on the distance, as Kairi helped him walk away. It was a clear sign to Kairi that her friend was hallucinating when he didn’t say anything at the ‘pretty boys’ thing. She sighed, knowing that she would have to lock him up if she didn’t want him pulling a stunt like this again. But, well, what are friends for if not get you out of your own messes, right?

* * *

From far away, a pair of ocean eyes stared at both. Hiding behind one of the rocks, Sora watched with fascination the silhouettes that were leaving the cove. He tried his best to hide his smile, he really did. But seeing the way the human -_Riku_, he told himself with a grin. His name was Riku! – kept staring at the sea, made it near impossible to control.

“You’re in big trouble,” Roxas called from his side. Sora didn’t bother turning around, instead, his eyes lingered in the place where Riku had been. “I mean it, Sora! You really crossed the line this time-”

“What was I supposed to do?” Sora asked, head resting on the rock. A dopey love-struck smile spread. “Just leave him alone?”

“Ideally,” Roxas deadpanned.

“But he was going to drown!” Sora exclaimed.

“Uh, duh. That’s what humans do,” Roxas said, swimming around so he could stare at Sora in the eyes. “What would you have done if he saw your tail?”

“He didn’t,” Sora replied, ignoring Roxas.

Roxas then rolled his eyes. There was no point in arguing with his friend when he was like this.

“Let’s just go home,” he said, already submerging back to the sea.

But when he was underwater, he realized Sora wasn’t following. With a groan, he went back up to the surface. Sora was in the exact same position, with the exact same lovestruck face, staring at the shore.

“Do you think he liked my song?” he asked in a long sigh.

“Sora, I love you so much, but you test me every day,” Roxas said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “I couldn’t care less if he liked your song! We _have_ to go home. Humans could still see us!”

Sora’s smile dimmed. He finally tore away his eyes from where Riku had been laying and dipped back into the sea. With Roxas following close by, Sora swam back to the reef.

* * *

“Earth to Riku?” Kairi called, waving her hand over Riku’s eyes. “You alright there, buddy?”

“I’m sure I saw him,” was all he said.

“Oh, Romeo, I _know_,” Kairi said with a sigh, closing the first aid kit. “But the little concussion you have there, begs to differ.”

Riku ignored the bandage he had wrapped around his head. He was sure he had seen it. You couldn’t conjure up something so real. Something so beautiful. It _had_ to be real. 

“I need to go back-,” he said. He tried to get up, but the pain in his head made him groan just before he could.

“_Oh, no_ mister! You’re not going anywhere with a bleeding head!” she said, quickly pushing her hands on his shoulders so he’d stay in bed. “We can go back, once you’re healed...And you promise not to pull a stunt like that again.”

Riku nodded, but they both knew it was an empty promise. More to prevent it from happening _soon_, than it not happening at all. If Kairi hadn’t been able to stop his desire for traveling through the sea in the eighteen years they had known each other, she wouldn’t be able to stop it now.

“Now rest,” Kairi said with a sigh. “You’ll need it if you want to find your little lover boy.”

Kairi let out a soft laugh. It was only after she was out of the room, that Riku finally processed her words. Even though she was gone, he still threw the pillow towards the entrance with a red face. His cheeks were burning out of shame from her teasing.

He let his weight drop back to the bed, wincing slightly at the pain from his wound. Although he cared for Kairi, it was hard for him to want her around when she spent so much time laughing at his poor attempts at social skills.

It didn’t matter at that moment, though. Riku’s mind drifted to the boy in the shore. He tried to drown himself in the memory. To forget the entire world outside what it had been. Listening to that song, feeling the cold hands against his cheeks. With closed eyes, Riku began humming what he remembered of the song.

He let that smile, the only thing he remembers with the freshness of the sea, invade his memories. His whole being. He closed his eyes, letting the lullaby be his peaceful dream. 

///

“Can we go to the surface again?”

Sora’s question made Roxas stop mid-bite to his algae. Roxas blinked, looking at his friend who was staring at him with big puppy eyes from the rock just beneath.

“No,” he said without hesitation. “Hell no. We almost died last time.”

“You’re overreacting,” Sora said. “It was a light drizzle…”

“You’re the only idiot who thinks going to the surface in the middle of a thunderstorm is a good idea,” Roxas replied. He took a quick bite to his algae and Sora stuck out his tongue in disgust. Algae was slimy and tasteless. Why Roxas liked it was a mystery to him.

“But it’s not raining today!” Sora insisted. “And you said you wanted to collect sunshine gems from the cove!”

“_Yeah_… they’re not worth that much trouble,” Roxas said with a frown. “Why do you want to go so bad anywa-?”

Sora gave Roxas a crooked smile.

“The _human_,” Roxas said, eyes narrowing. “You know interacting with humans is forbidden-!”

“I won’t talk to him, I promise!” Sora exclaimed quickly, giving his best friend the best puppy eyes he could. “I just want to see him!”

Roxas’ concerns did not waver. In fact, they seemed to grow the more he saw Sora’s determined gaze. However, he also knew that once a thought got through him...There was nothing to make him change his mind. And between having him do something stupid with or without Roxas to help him out of the mess…he’d much rather have the former.

“Fine,” he groaned. “But you better keep your promise. It’s dangerous to break the Sea’s Oath.”

Despite the clear warning, Sora didn’t seem the slightest bit worried. He just grinned, lips twitching from side to side on his face, and did a flip. Roxas rolled his eyes at his friend’s silliness.

“Thanks so much, Roxas!” Sora said, quick to bring Roxas into a hug. And while he tried to act like he hated it, Roxas had to admit he enjoyed the closeness. You had to if you were to spend 24/7 with a literal octopus-hugger.

“Yeah, yeah,” he said with a sigh. “You totally owe me a red algae soup after we come back.”

Roxas promptly ignored Sora’s gagging noises. It wasn’t his fault the merman was a weakling who didn’t like algae.

“You’re gonna turn dumb for eating it so much,” Sora said with a frown.

“I look forward having the same intelligence as you,” Roxas replied, a smug grin in his face.

It got him a seashell to the face, but it was totally worth it.

* * *

Roxas took back anything good he ever said about Sora. He is the _worst_ friend ever.

“Can we _go_ now?” Roxas asked for what felt like the infinity-th time.

They were hiding by the rocks of the cove. It was a secret spot from which no human on the shore could see them. Sora was resting his entire body on top of one of the largest rocks, only his lower fins touching the ocean’s water. Meanwhile, Roxas was lazily resting against the arch of rocks that was constantly hit by the breaking waves.

And while it was comfortable, they had been there _for hours_.

Sora ignored him, as he had ever since the human with the name of _Riku_ had shown up. The idiot had apparently forgotten the god damn world existed, as soon as the human appeared on the beach.

Roxas had been naïve enough to think the human would just be there an hour or so, and then leave. It would satiate Sora’s need to see the human and they could go home before dinner was served.

But no.

The stupid human decided to start building something, which not only took hours, but it meant he had taken off his sleeved shirt. And as soon as Sora had taken one long look at the human’s arms, it was set in stone they wouldn’t be moving unless Poseidon himself tried to drag them back to the sea.

“Isn’t he beautiful?” Sora asked, without even acknowledging Roxas despair. In normal circumstances, Roxas would have made fun of him. But after having to answer the same question, _ten times_, he was running out of comebacks.

“Yeah, sure, whatever you say,” he answered. It was enough for Sora, who gave out a long drawn out sigh, as he rested his head against the rock. “Can we go?”

“What do you think his favorite food is?”

“Probably something dumb like sea grass,” Roxas said, purely out of spite.

“Yeah,” Sora said, dopey smile never leaving his face. “Do you think he’d share with me if I asked?”

Roxas wasn’t sure if he should be surprised at this point. He probably should, seeing his friend had just admitted to wanting to eat Sea Grass – _gross_ – but really it was _Sora_. Could he say or do anything to surprise him anymore? The guy could start having a tea party with a shark with his only reasoning being ‘they seemed to want some!’ and it would _still_ seem like the perfectly Sora thing to do.

Not to mention, he was currently absolutely whipped by the human, so anything was possible.

“Okay, you’re creeping me out,” Roxas finally said, jumping back to the ocean. “I’m going back home. Call me when you stop being such a weirdo.”

He heard Sora, very softly, hum in agreement. His tail was moving the water with such tranquillity that Roxas wanted to cringe. This infatuation was getting out of hand, and he’d rather not be there when it came to end. If there was one thing worse than an annoyingly happy Sora, was a crying Sora.

He’d probably have to leave that mess to Xion because he was not dealing with another one of _those_.

* * *

With Roxas gone, Sora could self-indulgently hum out and stare at Riku as much as he wanted.

There were so many things he wanted to ask the man. So many things he wanted to know and would give anything for. The more he watched, the more curious he became of…well, everything.

What was he building? Why? What were those weird tools he was using? He had heard from Roxas that some of those things were used for eating. Why was he building something so big with food tools? Was he building a giant kelp soup? Was it a sea grass shell? Sora made a face just at the thought. He really didn’t like sea grass…But he’d probably make an exception for Riku.

He wanted to know. He wanted to know _so bad_. About the world, about Riku…About Riku’s world. What did he like? What was his favorite animal, and what did he enjoy doing when he wasn’t building stuff?

It ached inside of his heart, knowing he would never be able to ask those questions. Talking to a human…even just _them_ seeing a mermaid, was dangerous. There were scary stories passed through the rumors of the sea, of what fishermen would do if they caught one of their kind in their nets. Just remembering them would give Sora nightmares for days.

But even if it was dangerous. He couldn’t help being drawn in. Part of him wondered if all humans were evil.

Could someone like Riku be cruel? Would he hurt him? There wasn’t a reason for him to think he wouldn’t…Yet, Sora’s heart couldn’t believe it would.

The way Riku smiled at the dog by his side – a pet, just like his little seahorse back home – was enough of a clue. Such a wonderful, pure smile couldn’t belong to someone bad.

And those _eyes_. The color of the sea beyond the shore, through the reefs and the purity of white sand. It was that exact same shade, but somehow brighter. Almost like they were glowing underneath the sun. It left Sora breathless and feeling like he could get lost in them for days.

Without him even realizing, and without Roxas there to judge him, he began to hum. The same song he had sung to Riku by the shore. After all, it was a healing song, meant to soothe the pain of a broken heart. It spoke of love and a promise of a better tomorrow.

It was Sora’s favorite song.

As he hummed out, he let the feeling of peace envelop him. His voice traveled through the cove, making the place almost feel almost stuck in time. Where rules and prejudices didn’t exist. All that existed was Riku and him. Riku who was working not too far away, sweat dripping down his face, and arms bending to tighten the knots that held the pieces of wood together.

Riku, whose eyes were directly cast at him.

The humming from Sora stopped. He let out a yelp, quickly scurrying to hide in the water.

“Wait! Please!” Riku called, making Sora press his body against the rock, still underwater, not daring to move. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to startle you!”

Sora didn’t move. He could hear the splashes of water coming from the hurried steps into the ocean. The frantic movements continued as if chasing after.

“Come back…” he said. Sora felt a pang in his chest, guilty for being the one to make Riku sound so sad. This wasn’t fair!

They stayed silent. Sora knew he couldn’t show himself or talk to Riku, no matter how much he wanted to. It would put at risk everyone he knew. Xion, Roxas, and everyone else that lived in the reef. He couldn’t bring himself to selfishly reveal himself and put everyone else in danger.

After a minute of silence. Riku spoke again.

“…I…I liked your song,” he said, stammering out the words. Sora’s cheeks flushed in an obvious blue hue. He hid his face on his hands, trying to supress the grin that kept growing in his mouth. “I-I promise I won’t look! But…I would hate it for you to stop singing because of me.”

And against his better judgment, Sora opened his mouth. Hesitant, slowly, with broken words from the emotions riling up inside him, he said:

“Don’t look.”

After a moment of silence, Sora raised his head from the water. Riku was back to working on his strange looking object. Sora, still out of sight from the human began humming. Softly, tender. When Riku didn’t turn around to see him, Sora got bolder. He properly opened his mouth and began singing.

Riku never once looked up. He kept his promise.

Sora’s smile widened. He climbed on top of another rock, this time a bit farther and blocked by the giant arch of the nearby capo. The words easily spilled from his mouth as he began singing. He wondered if Riku understood them. It was sung in an ancient language, one which only merfolk knew how to speak.

But regardless, Riku seemed to enjoy it. The slight frown that he had while he worked, disappeared almost completely. Instead, a smile grew. And suddenly, Sora was reassured that gods did in fact exist. And perhaps, he was staring at one.

Sora closed his eyes, happy to just sit there and sing. With Riku not too far away, and the warmth of the sun in his skin. He then wondered: what would it be like to walk towards him? To go and sit by Riku’s side. To talk about the strange thing he was building, and whether he liked sea grass or not.

What would it feel to have sand on your toes? What would it feel to have legs? Dancing. He had heard Roxas say humans danced too. How did they do it? If he had legs, could he dance with Riku? Would he laugh and smile at him while they did? Just like they did in the stories Xion told him about humans? The thought alone had Sora singing a bit louder; happier.

He’d give anything to stay like this. Right by Riku’s side, without having to worry about silly old rules, or what ifs from everyone around him.

Just him, Riku, and their song.

///

When Sora went back to the sea, he wouldn’t stop singing. Roxas sent him glares and Xion didn’t stop giggling, but he didn’t acre about any of those things. Every day, as long as the sun shone brightly in the sky, Sora would go to the cove and sing. Riku would work on his object, and they’d share an instant hidden away from each other.

And while it was wonderful, it left Sora yearning for more. For a touch, for a word, for a little more than what they had.

“Isn’t he wonderful?” Sora asked, the fins of his tail moving through the water. The corners of his mouth hurt from smiling so much, but he didn’t stop smiling. He couldn’t. Not even if he tried.

He twirled the water around his tail, the bubbling feeling of laughter in his throat as he held tightly on to the flower in his hands. Silver, just like Riku’s hair. Just staring at it was enough for Sora to remember his voice, begging him to stay. Unable to help himself, he swam faster. The tickles in his stomach from the rush of adrenaline were almost as strong as the immense happiness inside.

“Riku,” he said, tasting the way it sounded in his mouth. It felt forbidden but sweet. Filling his mouth with the most delightful sensation of sparkles and light. As if a jellyfish had stung him, and now all he could feel was the electrifying sweetness of its non-lethal poison. “_Riku_!”

Laughter burst out of his lips once again. He threw himself at a nearby rock, the flower on his chest being swayed gently by the currents of the ocean.

From down there, he could barely see the light of the sun. It was just a blurred-out figure, stretched out into the infinity of the sea. But Sora still held up the flower towards it, imagining it growing in the bright green grass the humans had.

His curiosity couldn’t begin to catch up with his brain. Millions of questions from the outside world -Riku’s world! – began to form inside his mind. How did it feel to have warm sand touch your bare skin? What did human food taste like? How much different was the human land from the sea?

There was nothing he wanted more than to reach out. Touch Riku’s hand and never let it go. Would it be calloused or soft? Would it be hot or cold? His skin had felt so warm when Sora had touched it, but would it always be?

A sigh, long and full of all the affection his heart could fit. He brought the flower close to his lips until the flickering touch of its petals made him giggle.

A jellyfish floated towards him. One of those little harmless things, whose poison wouldn’t even make him flinch.

“What do you think, little one?” Sora asked, turning over to stare at it. “Do you think he could like me?”

It didn’t answer. He laughed a bit. Jellyfishes were one of the few sea creatures he couldn’t communicate with since they didn’t have mouths. It simply floated right next to Sora. Understanding, but never replying. With the gentle push of the currents, it began floating in circles around the merman. The bubbles that followed, enveloped him, and the little thing rubbed its gelatinous head against his cheek.

“Really?” Sora asked, his hands cupping the air around the jellyfish. From that angle, Sora could see the cute little flower design it had. He hummed out. “You really think so?”

The jellyfish started forming circles again. Never quite leaving but moving around as if he was trying to.

“Hmm…What should I do? I really wanna meet him but…” Sora asked. He began moving his tail, floating into the ocean, moving with the current, as the jellyfish followed suit. “It’s not really allowed…”

Sora stared at the silver flower in his hands, glistering along with the rays of sunlight that filtered through. The image of Riku got conjured up in his mind once again. That gentle smile that seemed to wash away any fear Sora ever had. Those bright teal eyes that shone brighter than any crystal Sora had ever seen. How was a human allowed to be so beautiful?

“Any ideas?” Sora asked the jellyfish with a wry smile. He turned to see his little friend but found it was gone. “Hey! Wait!”

From far away, he managed to see the jellyfish drifting away. Sora followed it through the currents, wondering what had happened to make it change its course.

The waters through which it began swimming were dark, he realized. Cold and unforgiven, far away from the light of the sun and the kingdom they resided in. Sora grew wary of the place.

“I don’t think we should be here…” he said to the jellyfish. He was tempted to take it and return home, but…maybe the jellyfish knew what it was doing? He wondered if they did. From what he’d heard from Roxas, they were wise but not really smart.

They reached a cave. The water inside was murky, almost impossible to see through. It sent shivers down Sora’s spine. The closer he got the feeling of dread grew stronger.

“Hello?” he called. “Is anyone in there?”

‘_The witch!’_ an echo of Roxas’ voice in his mind. A warning. _‘Don’t get close to the witch! She lives in a cave by the edge of the sea. She’s evil!’_

“What brings you here?” a voice. Soft like melody, sweet as a tune. A large tentacle came out of the cave, with the color of the sun shining on the shore. “Who are you? What do you want?”

“My name is Sora,” he replied without thinking much. “I’m sorry to disturb you… I was just passing by and-”

“Your memories,” she said, whispering a ray of sun. “I can see a human there…You care for him, don’t you?”

Sora swam backward, eyes wide as he stared at the cave.

“Ah! I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have seen without-…! That was rude I-,” the witch began apologizing quickly. Her tentacle retreated into the cave as if cowering in fear. “…I’m sorry…”

_That’s funny_, Sora thought. She didn’t seem evil at all. Perhaps shy, and even a bit misguided. But the longer Sora stared into the cave, the more he could see her. A little girl, scared and lonely. Her arms wrapped around her tentacles, as she looked away from the light.

“It’s alright,” he said, offering her a quiet smile. His hand stretched out, offered to protect those who needed it. “I didn’t quite catch your name.”

She stared at him. Blue eyes, trying to find traces of mischief. But all they saw, were a kind soul in search of a friend. With slow movements, she took out her hand and reached for Sora’s.

“Naminé,” she replied.

“Are you the witch?” Sora asked.

The question made her flinch away from his touch. Still, she nodded, looking away as if ashamed of her own name.

“Is it true what they say?” he asked. “That you curse people?”

“I’m not sure,” she said back. “I can use magic. And I like using it to help others but…I’m not that good at it.”

“At magic?”

“At helping others,” Naminé corrected. “Magic is…weird. You can’t create things out of nothing. If you want something, you have to give out something of the same worth. People don’t think it’s a fair trade.”

“I see,” Sora replied. He swam closer to the cave.

Naminé was sitting not too far away from the entrance. Her tentacles were coiled around her body, protecting herself from any nearby thread. It broke Sora’s heart to know she lived in so much fear of being hurt that this was her neutral position.

“I know you’re searching for a way to talk to your human. Your little friend seems to think I can help…” Naminé said hand stretched out to let the jellyfish float in her hand. “…But I don’t think I’m your best option.”

“Why not?” Sora asked.

“What you search for is a powerful spell,” Naminé replied, letting the jellyfish wander off into the vast sea once again. “One so powerful…I don’t know what the price of it might be.”

“What kind of spell?” Sora asked, curiosity piquing his interest.

“One to turn you into a human,” Naminé said.

Sora’s world stopped. Naminé’s words seemed to freeze the water around him, sealing him in place. Was there really something like that? Could he really be human and explore the world above with Riku?

“You could do that?” Sora asked, mouth moving on his own before he even realized it. Naminé sent him a worried look but replied, nonetheless.

“It wouldn’t be easy…but I could try,” she said. “And it’d be awfully dangerous. I’m not sure if…I could even get it to last long.”

“But you could _try_,” Sora said. His eyes were sparkling like shining gems underneath the light of the sun. His heart beating. The possibility of being with Riku so within reach he almost stopped breathing.

Naminé nodded, eyes cast to the side.

“I would advise against it,” she said. “What you wish for is…so big I don’t know if the price would be worth it.”

“If I could get to meet Riku again,” Sora said. “No price is too much.”

Naminé didn’t seem too convinced by his answer but didn’t object anymore. One quick look into Sora’s memories was enough to reveal that his love for Riku transcended reason. And his curiosity for the world was bigger than the seven seas. Nothing she could say would be able to change his mind.

“Then…I guess I could try.”

* * *

She had never done a spell quite as complicated. A human body was no simple wish, so she had to tweak the recipe the slightest bit. Legs, instead of a tail. The gills in Sora’s neck would atrophy from disuse, and the scaly texture of his skin would have to be swapped.

And even then, when she tried to let it just be a modified mermaid body…The ingredients asked were so rare it didn’t make her feel confident on what she was doing.

“Are you sure you wanna do this?” Naminé asked once again.

Her cauldron was bubbling with golden tar. Bubbles the color of the sunset spilling from the edges, as Sora stood near watching in pure awe. Naminé continued to mix the ingredients, trying to calculate the right amount of squid ink she needed to dye the skin of a mermaid into a flesh-like color.

“I’m sure,” Sora’s voice didn’t hesitate to answer.

“Listen, Sora, this is very important,” Naminé said. Her eyes were fixated directly into his. “This is spell is not stable enough. I’m not sure if it will last more than three days.”

“Three days?” Sora asked, his eyebrows furrowed and little gasp in his mouth. “That’s all I have to be with him?”

“I-I’m not sure…Probably less…And after that…your body could become bubbles,” she said. Guilt filled her to the very core of her being. Her expression showed so, her body trembling, eyes cast to the cauldron asking for forgiveness.

“Then I’d-,” Sora began. Naminé pushed herself to continue.

“-you’d die,” Naminé closed her eyes. “The book says…that just a force bigger than magic could make you stay longer.”

“What kind of force is that?” Sora asked.

“True love,” Naminé said. Sora’s entire face heated up. “A true love’s kiss can do and undo any spell. If you can get Riku to give you a true love’s kiss…Then perhaps you could-!”

“I could stay with him…!” Sora finished. Naminé nodded fervently, her face lighting up at Sora’s hope-filled expression.

“Yes!” Naminé cheered with a shy smile.

“I’ll do it! I’ll do it Naminé!” Sora said with a proud smile. “What do I have to give you then?”

“That’s why I have memory magic,” she replied. Her hand stretched, a soft glow coming from it. “I will search in your memories for something you value.”

“Alright.”

Sora closed his eyes, letting Naminé touch his forehead. It wasn’t painful at all. In fact, it was almost a pleasantly warm feeling.

“I found it,” Naminé said. “I found the memory you hold dear the most.”

It played inside Sora’s head. Singing to Riku in the cove. Just that was enough to make Sora so happy he could cry.

“You’re taking it away?”

“Not the memory,” she replied. “Taking it away…that’d be beyond cruel. What I’m taking away…is your voice.”

No more singing. No more talking. No more humming in the air. Or chat with his sea friends.

Sora’s hands went to his neck. His fingers traced his throat softly, reminiscent of all the beautiful memories he had where he laughed or joked around with his friends. 

If Naminé followed through…It’d all be gone.

“Do it,” he said. “Please, I beg you, Naminé.”

Despite the tears in her eyes, she nodded. Her hands reached for the cauldron, and she recited a spell Sora couldn’t decipher. The water around them grew colder and hotter at the same time, hitting Sora like whiplash while Naminé’s spell continued. The liquid began boiling, spilling from the cauldron and into the sea floor. Strange clouds colored deep blue hit Sora in the face. He coughed loudly, his throat constricting around nothing.

“Sing,” Naminé said, voice echoing through the walls of the caved. Her opened eyes glowed, forcing Sora to comply without him even trying. “_Sing_…”

Sora closed his eyes, the energy from Naminé’s magic flowing through his body. The first song he had sung when he was a kid, one he could sing fast asleep. It came out on instinct. An old nursery rhyme used to help kids go to sleep without nightmares. He opened his mouth, letting the first note spill.

“_In you and I_-,” the ache behind his throat grew. It was burning him. He tried to cough, but his voice didn’t seem affected by it. It continued to sing, even when he stopped singing. His mouth hung loose. “-_there’s a new land_.”

It held itself in the very last note. It continued to sing, a floating golden sphere. Sora stared amazed as it traveled from out of his throat, towards Naminé.

‘…_Where fears and lies melt away_.’

No matter how much Sora stared at it, he couldn’t believe it. It felt too unreal, too strange. Watching something else sing with his own voice when he wasn’t doing anything. His hands went out to touch it. It had no warmth nor coldness. It was simply there. Simply his voice. He retreated his hand, so Naminé could continue. She placed the strange sphere into her cauldron.

The liquid that had been boiling, coiled around Sora as soon as his voice touched it. Trapped inside, he couldn’t see a thing. His skin was crawling underneath his bones, shifting and rearranging him. Sora tried to let out a pained cry, but nothing came out. His voice had been really taken away from him. Not even as his tail was torn, split in two, was he able to scream. The ends of it shifting, tearing, crushing, breaking…

His chest burnt. He tried to gasp, fill his gills with water, but it only made everything feel so much worse. He couldn’t breathe.

As if sensing his pain, Naminé swam towards him, holding his arms, and guiding him towards the surface. Sora was afraid he might die before reaching it, but it was Naminé’s reassuring voice of ‘_Stay awake! You’ll meet Riku! I promise!_’ that kept him from closing his eyes.

As soon as his face was out of the water, Sora took in a deep breath. Then he coughed. The waves pushed him towards the shore of the cove, and never had Sora resented them so much. Their touch felt almost cruel now that he didn’t have his scales to protect him. And the water inside his chest pierced his lungs like unforgiven needles.

“Are you okay?” Naminé asked, from afar. Her half-octopi body didn’t allow her to go beyond that point. Sora nodded, feeling weak all over, but not dying anymore. So, that was a good start. “Oh, thank the seas!”

Sora opened his mouth to reassure Naminé that she didn’t have to worry so much, but nothing came out. He closed it again, grimacing from the realization that his voice was gone. Really gone.

“Here, use this to cover yourself,” Naminé said offering what looked to be a rag. “Human skin is much more sensitive to cold than merfolk’s.”

Sora gave a hesitant nod, as he took the strange cloth from Naminé. He put it on, feeling the slightest bit strange.

A loud sound came through, making Naminé hide back into the sea. Sora recognized it. He turned around just to have big creature launch itself to his face. The wetness of its tongue and the roughness of it came as a surprise, but it wasn’t an unpleasant one. Sora’s frame trembled in silent laughter.

“Pluto! Stop attacking strangers!”

Sora’s heart began beating loudly. The dog was taken away from his face, and in place, the image of his everlasting daydreams came into focus.

If his voice had been there, if only it had existed for a second more, he would have said his name.

‘_Riku_,’ ever so softly filled with everything he could never begin to express in any other words.

But he couldn’t. All Sora could do, was moving his lips in a silent prayer to an unhearing god. Hoping it would, somehow, communicate everything he had kept inside his heart for so long.

And perhaps it did. Because Riku turned around. As if Sora had really said something. As if he hadn’t actually lost his voice.

“You okay?”

Again, he tried to answer. Nothing came. So instead he nodded, taking the hand that Riku was offering for him. It didn’t matter that he couldn’t speak. He was holding Riku’s hand!

It was warm. Sora wanted to cry. It was warm and bigger than his, and so perfectly beautiful that nothing he ever dreamed could begin to compare.

Sora took a step forward, eyes focused on his prince charming’s face.

_Red_.

Agony unleashed, brining him to his knees. Tears filled behind his eyes, tremors of excruciating pain keeping him in place. It hurt. It _hurt_. **_It hurt!_**

As if thorns had grown on the sole of his feet, each step was filled his nothing more than torment. He looked downwards; afraid he could catch himself bleeding. Big pool of red liquid flowing to taint the sand. Showing off how much of a fake human he was.

But there was nothing. He sighed in relief.

“Is there something wrong?” Riku asked. His voice was so kind. So full of tenderness, just like he had heard him from so far away.

Sora’s hand went to his throat, holding it as he shook his head.

“Can’t speak?” he asked. “That’s alright. I’m sure we can help.”

‘_You already did_,’ he wanted to answer.

Instead, Sora smiled.

And he didn’t stop. Not even when the pain from taking another step came rushing back. It didn’t matter. It couldn’t matter. Not when Riku was helping him walk. Not when Riku’s hand was holding his, and his frame was so close to Sora’s.

The pain seemed almost non-existent, tolerable, and even welcomed when he finally saw what laid beyond the shore. A wide green valley covered in small houses and people that greeted each other. Scattered around were trees, and animals so funny and bizarre yet so unbelievably lovely. 

“You sure you’re okay?” Riku asked again. Sora nodded, taking the first step on his own. It hurt.

But what Naminé had said was right. It was a fair trade. The pain wasn’t there, because the of joy that filled his heart, as he walked on his own towards the human village couldn’t be more infinite. 

Sora twirled around, facing Riku with the brightest smile he had ever felt in his cheeks. It was so wide it hurt, and never before had he wanted to laugh so bad. Sora pointed at the village with sparkles in his eyes and unspoken words on his lips.

_Look, Riku!_

He mouthed.

In return, Sora saw the most beautiful thing in land or sea. Riku’s stunned face, colored in red and wide eyes. The shadow from Sora’s frame was hitting him ever so slightly, but the rest was illuminated by the last bits of sunlight that came through the twilight. His silver hair danced in the wind, shining bits of stardust that had fallen from the sky. A soft smile followed. And if Sora was grateful for anything in his life…it was that moment.

Getting to see Riku like this, so happy, so at peace…It was worth every second of infinite pain and the fear of death just around dawn’s corner.


	2. Chapter 2

To say that Riku was confused, would be an understatement. His mind had been trying to solve the puzzle that was the stranger who had appeared in the cove, with little to no effort. It seemed as if the more pieces he tried to find, the less sense everything made.

He had tried near anything to communicate with the boy. They’ve tried to give him paper so he could write down what he was thinking, but it was a fruitless effort. While the boy seemed proud of whatever he wrote, all Riku saw were strange lines and circles that made the least bit of sense. They had also tried sign language. Kairi tried to teach him the basics, but at most the boy had managed to sign was ‘I love the sea’.

At this point, Riku wondered if there was even a point in trying to get any information out of the stranger. _He_ didn’t seem bothered, at least. Currently, he seemed way more interested in sitting on the edge of the village, collecting flowers from the nearby meadow.

“He seems nice,” Kairi said by his side. They were seating below a tree, watching as the stranger stretched his hands through the grass to reach for the roses in bloom. “But if you keep frowning like that, he’ll think you hate him.”

Riku’s hands went to instinctively touch his eyebrows. It’s not like he was trying to purposely frown.

“I’m just worried,” he said. 

“I don’t see why you should,” Kairi replied. “He seems pretty happy.”

Riku knew that. Every moment the guy was out in the open, his smile shone brighter than the sun. His eyes sparkled, staring at everything like it was his first time seeing them. Every little thing, from the grass to the birds, new experience. A memory to hold dear. So precious in his hands, almost sacred from how he held them.

The light in his eyes was eternal. Unbound. Reaching through the deepest parts of the sea, just to fill this world with a bit more warmth. Just his smile was contagious. And Riku could only believe that his laughter probably carried out that same magic even farther.

“We don’t even know his name, or where he came from,” Riku replied, frown deepening. His heart was uneasy, thinking about everything that could possibly go wrong. “What if he needs our help and we don’t even know it?”

“You seem awfully worried,” Kairi pointed out. “I’ve never seen you like this.”

Riku didn’t reply. Mostly, because he didn’t know how to. What Kairi said was true. It was weird for him to be so fixated on someone. Especially someone he knew so little about.

But there was something about the stranger. A pull from his heart to help him, to at least try. There was something clearly wrong with the situation. Why had he been in the cove all alone? What about his family or friend? Didn’t he want to go back to them? Who was he?

Not to mention, just the thought of _something_ happening to him, was unbearable. Unfair, even. A person with such kindness and innocence in their wake…Getting hurt. It settled an uncomfortable feeling on his chest. Was he really okay…?

Before he could complete the thoughts -the questions- that ran through his head, the stranger got up. He ran towards the tree, his feet stumbling ever so slightly as he did. Riku narrowed his eyes at this. Was there something wrong with his legs?

A bunch of flowers was shoved into Riku’s face. He blinked, startled by the sight. The stranger was offering them to him. Kairi laugh by his side only served to confuse him more, and he reluctantly took them.

They were pretty. Daisies, roses, violets and small forget-me-nots were mixed in. Riku flinched when his hands touched a thorn. Wait. His eyes drifted to the other’s hands, just to find they were covered in dirt and scratches.

But the boy was still smiling. His face against the sunset, blurring out his facial expressions until only the silhouette was left. Riku blinked, for a second his vision being blurred and the image of the boy who sang in the cove replacing that before him.

Quickly, he rubbed his eyes.

The image shifted into focus.

“What’s your name?” Riku asked.

The stranger stared for a few seconds. Confusion was clear in his face, probably thinking about how to share his name. Blue eyes wandered through the tree, unto the flowers, and finally going upwards. His smile returned, and he beamed.

He pointed upwards.

“The sky,” Riku said. The stranger nodded. “Your name is Sky?”

He shook his head vigorously, a pout forming on his lips, which made Riku let out a laugh. The question had offended him greatly, but it was hard not to laugh at such a cute face pouting. Riku hummed out, looking up to see what the stranger was saying.

Sky…

“Sora?” he asked.

It was the right answer. It was written all over Sora’s face. With his cheeky grin, and little jumps as he nodded with all the force his neck could give. Riku’s own smile slipped passed his lips

Strange, really, how much he felt like he was smiling recently.

It was as if a spell for happiness had been cast into his heart.

“Alright, Sora,” Riku said. “Where do you come from?”

Sora’s face turned blank. A nervous wiggly smile rested on him, as his eyes evaded every possible intention Riku had of connecting with them. His fingers were fidgeting in the hem of the borrowed shirt Riku had given him and then he shrugged. It was clear Riku wouldn’t be getting a straightforward answer from that, so he just sighed.

“Did they hurt you there?” Riku asked still. It was a very real possibility, one that made him fear of what could happen to Sora if he was left alone.

Much to his relief, Sora shook his head. His smile was soft, reassuring. It wasn’t a lie, that much he could tell. But it was painted with bittersweet sadness that made him think there was something else besides it.

“Do you want to go back?” Riku asked.

Sora shook his head again. This time, he sat down. It seemed like he was getting tired of standing up. Which Riku had come to realize that was usual. Sora could stay up for, perhaps a minute or two before he got tired and begged with his eyes for a place to sit.

This time around, that place seemed to be just by Riku’s side.

A wave of heat inside his chest hit Riku. Sora snuggled closer to his side, wrapping hands around his arm, and using his shoulder as a pillow. Ocean eyes stared directly into his and the warmth of Sora’s body heat was a pleasant pressure that had Riku turning scarlet.

It was strangely comforting. Riku knew he should probably shake Sora off. The boy didn’t seem to understand much of their customs – he didn’t even know how to use a fork – so maybe he wasn’t aware it was strange for boys to hug each other…

But it was comfortable.

Sora was warmth. Soft against his side. The scent of sea-salt water traveling through the air and the soft tickle of chestnut hair by his cheek was like an enchanted spell that made it impossible for him to move. The sun, filtering through the leaves of the tree, the small sound from Sora’s lips as he drew in a sleepless breath, was a soothing lullaby.

His hands moved on its own, reaching for Sora’s hand and intertwining their fingers together. The smile that danced on Sora’s lips got a bit bigger, even if it was by so little Riku was probably the only one to notice. The wind, filled with the familiarity of roses and daisies, blew through them. It played with Sora’s hair, messing it up with its current.

“You’re staring,” Kairi’s voice echoed. Riku wanted to tell her to stop it, but he couldn’t find the strength in his throat to speak. To do anything other than hum in agreement.

In fact, his whole body felt weak. Completely useless for anything other than to be Sora’s pillow. His heart didn’t want to move. To say or do anything that could possibly break the infinite movement trapped in the edge of the sun, would be a sin. Careful hands went to fix up the loose strand of Sora’s hair that the wind had tussled up.

His fingers lingered on the sun-kissed cheeks as he tucked the strand away behind Sora’s ear. They ran through the tanned expanse of skin, trying to dust off the little freckles that were scattered in the bridge of Sora’s nose.

Before he knew it, Sora was nuzzling his hand. That scattery sea-shell smile of his was trailing through his lips as if Riku’s touch alone felt as good as the caress of the sea.

‘_Riku’_ Sora’s lips moved, but no sound would come out. Yet, through half-lidded eyes, the words were muttered.

“I’m here,” he replied.

There wasn’t much merit to thinking those words had been directed at him. That the one thing he had seen Sora mutter in the day they had spent together, was his name. But still, there was certainty inside of Riku that it was true. Nothing else seemed to fit the already confusing puzzle that was Sora. So, if he could fool himself into thinking that it was he who Sora called for in his dreams, why should he stop? 

* * *

If there was a reason to be sad about his voice, it would be that he no longer could sing. Sora was so used to signing when he was happy, that it came as almost a second nature. That’s why when the time came to go to sleep, and Riku had offered him a room to stay, Sora felt his throat constrict, ready to start humming at moment's notice.

But the sound never came.

Even when he was alone, with no one who could listen, he still tried to sing. His throat was raspy and it kinda ached when he tried to sing for too long, but Sora couldn’t help it. He was so used to it, that stopping would hurt more than the red stains of dull ache in his legs.

“You should be careful,” a familiar voice called.

Sora didn’t stop brushing his hair, simply content on listening to Naminé’s voice as she spoke. Besides, it’s not like he could actually answer her.

“I know you love him,” she continued. The worry in her voice was palpable, and Sora felt the guilt raise up his chest for being the one to cause it. “But if you don’t hurry up…! You might turn into bubbles.”

Sora placed the brush back on the bed. His hands reached for the pencil and pad Kairi had given him. Soft traces of graphite against the pure white paper. He wrote.

‘_I’m sorry Naminé_.’

It was written in the merfolk language, the only one he had been taught to write. Apparently, humans couldn’t read it. But it was okay, he didn’t need words to show Riku how much he cared.

‘_You shouldn’t worry. This was my choice. I’m happy with it_.’

Her voice was coming from his head. He was almost certain it was one of her spells, probably one that allowed her to see what he had written because she was quick to add.

“I just can’t help worrying,” she replied. “It was my magic that did this to you. If something goes wrong…It feels like it’s my fault!”

Sora shook his head as softly as he could.

‘_It’s not, Naminé. You did what I asked you to. If anything, you gave me a chance to be truly happy! See the world and Riku. I should thank you!_’

“Please don’t,” the voice replied with hidden sorrow in her tone. “At least, not until we know for sure you’re going to be fine.”

‘_I’ll set a reminder then!_’ Sora wrote down. ‘_When I’m a real human, I’ll make sure to properly thank you.’_

Although…At this point, Sora wasn’t sure if it might even be possible to be a real human. Riku was kind. Far too kind. He made Sora’s heart ache. Just imagining Riku - just thinking of him - had him breathing out fire from the depths of his own chest. It burnt from the inside out. It was both painful and beautiful: Knowing his most important person was right within reach…and yet so far away. But he didn’t regret it. Every little piece of the pain he felt, was proof. Proof that his love for Riku was real. That he was human. That he was in Land, exploring through the grass and seeing sights he had never thought he could have seen in the ocean. 

It was all so precious. A hidden gem stored inside Sora’s eternal memories.

Even if he couldn’t become human by the end…Just being able to have these fragments of himself, scattered through the hearts of Riku and Kairi…It was enough. It was perfect. A reminder that he had existed.

A reminder that this was true.

“Take care, Sora,” Naminé’s voice said one last time.

He smiled, unsure if she could see that or not, but feeling like it was the right thing to do.

‘_You too, Naminé_.’

* * *

Riku had never been one for parties. That had always been more of Kairi’s style. There wasn’t a party, ball or festival she wouldn’t go to, just for a chance at laughing and dancing until the morning came. So, when she insisted for them to go to the village’s summer festival, he had been very close to saying no on the stop.

“How about you Sora?” she asked instead, ignoring Riku’s opened mouth, ready to decline. “You wanna go?”

Riku closed his eyes and pinched the bridge on his nose. Of course, Kairi wouldn’t have come here knowing she’d get a ‘no’. Of course, she’d have a plan for convincing him to agree, ready to go.

And by the way, Sora’s eyes lit up, gently tugging Riku’s sleeve, her devious plan had worked.

“I think Sora wants to go,” Kairi said with a giggle. “We can go alone if you want to stay behind, though…”

Riku’s eyes turned, ever so slightly, towards Sora. There was a pout on his lips, small enough to be missed if he wasn’t paying attention. Leaving Sora alone…his chest throbbed in a beat of endearment. He sighed

“I’m going. I doubt you can take care of Sora alone,” Riku said.

“That’s rude! I can multitask!” she replied, sticking out her tongue. Her smile didn’t waver.

It wasn’t that he didn’t like parties. They could be fun. But the issue of going with Kairi was that she tended to ditch him as soon as she found any cute girl or boy who was willing to take her for a dance. Which tended to end with Riku being alone in a table, with no one to talk. Such was the case of this exact festival when he was left alone as soon as a girl told her she looked “like a princess in that dress” and asked for a dance.

Sitting by one of the trees, with no Kairi in sight.

But it was okay. At least, this time he had Sora, who was looking in silent awe at the entire festival. Bright blue eyes, roaming through the people in long and fancy dresses and the flowers that decorated the streets. Even his hands were twitching with a hidden desire to explore and touch every single bit of new light that came from the glimmering lanterns and crystal decorations.

It was strange how easily Riku could understand Sora. Although the boy couldn’t talk properly, and their attempts at communication were rocky at best, Riku found it was surprisingly easy to know what was on Sora’s mind. There was just so much emotion in everything Sora did; in the way, his eyes sparkled when he was happy, the big grin he carried when he was excited, the puppy eyes and that pout whenever he was sad. Even just the little details said a lot. Like the way he fidgeted with the hem of his clothes when he was nervous, or how he scrunched up his nose when someone was being rude.

If you asked him, you had to actively avoid noticing for you to not understand what Sora wanted.

After all, it was clear as day from the way his eyes were transfixed on the ice cream parlor that the mute boy wanted some. Riku couldn’t help letting out a laugh, as he got up.

A strange sound came from Sora, a fiddle hand went to grab his shirt. Riku turned around, just to see Sora’s mouth agape. His eyes were blown wide, white knuckles holding his shirt.

Riku recognized the fear inside Sora. Palpable through the silence, loud and clear in the way his eyes stared at Riku’s.

“It’s alright, I won’t leave you,” Riku said, a soft smile on his lips, hoping it would help Sora calm down. “I’ll be back in just a moment.”

Sora’s hands moved hesitantly away from him. The worry was still there, but Sora’s shy smile was enough reassurance for Riku to move away. Although, not without guilt inside his heart.

As he was buying the ice cream, he wondered what kind of flavor Sora would like. It was hard to decide when there was little you knew about the other person. Perhaps he liked something fruity? For some reason, that seemed to fit him just perfectly.

He paid for the pair of ice cream cups and walked back to the tree. Sora’s name was on the tip of his tongue and was about to call him, but the words were stuck in his throat as a fresh breeze of air came through.

Sora’s hair danced through the wind, flowers caught on the rift floated in the air, enveloping his frame against the tree. His closed eyes, face directed to the sky. He seemed to be enjoying music from the nearby musicians.

He looked so pretty from afar. Like an angel sitting on the edge of the world, ready to spread his wings and fly away from his grasp. It was ethereal, precious in ways he couldn’t describe. Just Sora, there, smiling at the music was enough to have his heart feel full.

And then his eyes opened. Zircon blue, staring directly at him. With so much care, so much affection that Riku felt out of breath in a near second. A stretched-out hand, waving at him with delight. It was like coming home to a place he hadn’t thought could be a home.

Without thinking, he reached for the tree and handed Sora the ice cream.

“Didn’t know what you’d like,” he said, sitting by Sora’s side. The boy looked curiously at the cup, making Riku’s heart melt. He was so cute, trying to figure out what it was. “It’s ice-cream, never had it before?”

Sora shook his head, mouth hanging open a bit. It was clear his amusement knew no boundaries. Riku could only laugh.

Riku took a bit from the spoon and ate it. He had picked lemon flavor since the air was burning hot around the coastal area in summer. He turned around to see Sora, who imitated him almost immediately.

He could only guess that what followed was a gasp since no actual sound came from Sora’s mouth. But it was so endearing to see his mouth form an ‘o’ and his eyes fill with stardust, that Riku couldn’t suppress the chuckle that escaped him. Sora continued to eat, enjoying every second of the delicious treat.

“You like mango then?” he asked. Sora just tilted his head. Riku offered him a spoonful of his own ice cream. “Wanna try mine?”

He hadn’t expected Sora to eat directly from the spoon he was offering, still attached to his hand. Riku’s blush spread through his face, all too aware of how close they were, and how intimate it felt to feed Sora. But it was all worth it by the smile that appeared on the boy’s face. So bright, full of color and life.

“Which one do you like best?” Riku asked.

Sora bit his lip. Eyes darted between the two flavors until an idea popped in his mind. With his own spoon, he took a bit of Riku’s ice cream, and a bit of his own. He propped the spoon in his mouth and closed his eyes. His smile grew.

“Both, huh?” Riku said. Sora nodded without much thought. “Then I guess I’ll try some.”

He combined the flavors too. It tasted sweet and sour, mixing in his mouth in a refreshing sensation.

Just as the music began changing, Riku noticed Sora’s eyes drifting towards the sea. He stared at it, longingly, with a strange stare stuck between happiness and sadness. Sora mouthed something. Trying to tell Riku. But there was no sound. He seemed to realize as much, hands going to wrap his throat, his eyes brimming with regret.

The music picked up. Riku wasn’t sure what to do to cheer Sora up. He couldn’t know what was bothering him. No idea of what could be causing him so much sorrow. He was stuck, staring at such a nice and caring person break down piece by piece, without knowing how to help. How to fix.

So, he did the only thing that he could think of.

He got up and offered a hand.

“It’s boring to just stare,” he said.

Sora looked up towards Riku. The leaves from the tree had fallen into Sora’s hair, messing it up even more. Parted lips, moving ever so slightly, muttering something neither could understand. Riku was afraid that Sora would decline. Perhaps Riku had stepped out of line.

But Sora didn’t seem to mind. Not one bit. In fact, he smiled back, with that vibrant whirpool smile that took Riku’s breath away and took his hand.

His hand was small. So very small against his. Delicate even. A wave of worry washed over him at the sight of their clasped hands. If he held on too tight, would he break Sora’s hand? His own were rugged up from working on rafts almost daily. Did it feel weird against Sora’s skin?

He didn’t let himself fall down that rabbit hole for longer, though. Instead, he pulled the boy into his arms, as the music changed into an upbeat and familiar melody. Sora’s face looked silly squished up against Riku’s chest. But it was even more silly how adorable it was. How just seeing Sora stick out his tongue in mischievous delight was enough to overwhelm Riku in tides of unbound happiness.

They danced through the crowd, Riku guiding Sora’s steps. It was easy when the boy weighed so little. Lifting him up in the sky, and then coming back down. The flow of the music was easy to follow. The sunset that hid in Sora’s eyes as they danced had Riku captivated. Their movements fit together perfectly. A single harmony, hearts dancing in tune. Sora’s lithe feet barely touching the ground, like he was flying, as Riku grounded their movements.

It was a moment stuck in time. Paralyzed only for them. Riku didn’t even notice when the rest of the crowd started moving away from them, to stare at their dance. He was far too preoccupied with the sunflower brightness that was Sora. 

Until they stumbled.

And had it been an isolated thing, he probably would have chalked it off as the clumsiness of the boy. However, it happened again. And again. Until Sora was less flying and more drowning. His feet serving as an anchor to the ground, dragging him downwards until he couldn’t move an inch. When Riku finally stopped dancing, Sora dropped to the ground.

Light tears were forming in the corners of his eyes, as he held on to his legs.

“Are you hurt?” Riku asked, kneeling by Sora’s side.

The boy didn’t answer. Not even through the small movements of his head. He just sat there, curled up in the middle of the plaza, holding on to his legs with dear life.

Riku glanced around. A few people were watching with concerned eyes, but Kairi was nowhere to be seen. He sighed.

Without further prompting, Riku picked up Sora, carrying him bride style. The feet dangled on the edge of his torso, as Sora’s arms went to grab Riku by the neck.

“It’s alright,” Riku said. “I won’t drop you.”

He really wouldn’t. Not even if he tried. Sora was surprisingly light. Was he even eating correctly? Maybe he should tell Kairi to give him a larger meal…Riku tried not to cringe at his own thoughts. Since when had he become such a worrywart?

“You okay there?” Riku asked.

He was caught off guard by the way Sora was looking at him. All starry-eyed, mouth halfway opened, and the infinite adoration of an underwater treasure, hidden behind a noticeable pink blush.

Riku was suddenly very aware that he was holding Sora. Holding him up, so close to his own body. The warmth of his skin burning him and the closeness of their faces kept his pulse going up. It took every little bit of will inside him to look away, just so he could breathe without fear of his heart falling off his chest.

“I-I’ll t-take you home,” he said, stuttering when Sora brought his body closer by hugging Riku tighter. “You can rest there…”

Sora gave a very slight nod and placed his head on Riku’s shoulder.

* * *

His feet hurt. All the way from the sole to the knee, aching like a million pieces of glass digging into his skin. If Sora had to describe it, it would be as bones shifting underneath his skin, bruised and broken. And after dancing with Riku, he could barely stand anymore. It had taken all his strength not to cry because that would have worried Riku.

And that’s the last thing he wanted.

His legs were a curse. But also, a blessing. Despite the excruciating amount of pain he was in, Sora had also managed to dance with Riku and see the festival with his own two eyes. Could you really call that a curse?

He realized how easy it would be to hate Naminé if he lost sight of the beautiful little things. Sometimes hurt made you like that. Lose the sight of the things you loved the most. It made you blind to the beautiful things the world had to offer.

But that didn’t stop them from existing. And the overflowing happiness in his veins couldn’t be measured. No matter the pain…being carried by Riku back home had been the best thing to happen to him.

Riku was so strong, barely breaking a sweat as they walked back to his home. It went to prove just how amazing he was.

When they had arrived, Riku set Sora on the couch. Worn out fabric underneath him, as he Riku go to the kitchen and place a kettle on the stove. He was heating up tea. The only reason why he knew was that was because Kairi had done the same thing when Sora had first arrived at the little house. After leaving the water to boil, Riku kneeled down and went to check Sora’s legs.

“Nothing seems wrong,” he said. Sora grimaced. “You sure you’ll be okay?”

Sora smiled and nodded.

They sat there, drinking tea for a while. Sora let himself be lost by the delicious scent of pomegranate coming from his cup, and reassurance of being able to press his head on Riku’s shoulder. The chiming of the bells, gently being moved by the breeze of the ocean echoed in the small living room they were sitting in. The scalding hot tea in Sora’s tongue helped him calm down, and the ache in his legs faded away little by little. For time to stop…such a beautiful daydream. One for which Sora would give up not only his legs and voice but his heart and soul too.

“There was this boy,” Riku began talking. Sora wished he could answer. Wish he could hum in agreement, or even peep up with his own story. But all that was left was the silence of a strained voice mute to the world. So, he listened. “I met him by the cove where I found you.”

Sora’s heart picked up the pace.

_It was me. It was me, Riku_.

He wanted to cry.

“He had the most beautiful voice you could ever hear,” he said. The breeze played with silver hair. The light reflected from it made Sora close his eyes the slightest bit. Riku was so bright like this. Shining, like a dimming candle in the night, lighting your way home. Subtle and soft, but definitely there. More powerful than you’d believe. “And his laugh…_Sora_, have you ever fell in love with someone just from their laugh?”

_I have_, he wanted to say_, I fell in love with you_.

But he couldn’t. All he could do was grip the cup of tea in his hands, trying his hardest to contain the tears that threatened to spill from his cheeks.

“And I know it’s stupid…” _It’s not. You’re Riku! Nothing you say can be stupid._ “But sometimes, when I see you…I swear I can see glimpses of him. Light, barely there…but there they are…”

Sora opened his mouth. His throat constricted around nothing, burning in the worst kind of way. From the sadness that bubbled behind his throat and the strain from having to voice, it all felt too much. Riku wasn’t even looking at him. He was staring at the window, at the sea. Longing for the boy he had met in the cove but would never see again.

Even when Sora was _right there_.

“I’m sorry…I shouldn’t be bothering you like this…”

_You aren’t!_

Sora tried to get up and press forward. To connect his lips with Riku and hopefully, _magically_, have him realize that he is the mermaid in the cove. That he’s the one he fell in love with. That he’s right _there_, and they can be happy ever after if he just-!

But his legs ached. They ached so badly just from having to stand on his own.

He tripped, letting the cup of tea drop. Sora would have whimpered in pain if he could. His already weak and pained legs were suddenly forced to endure even more. This time, the tears didn’t stop. No matter how much he tried to hold them back and not worry Riku.

“Sora!” Riku cried in worry.

A damp cloth of cold water ran through his legs. Sora kept sobbing with no real sound, as Riku tried to check for injuries. He was meticulous in his care; which Sora couldn’t be more grateful for. His legs were weak enough to break from the pain.

“You should be more careful,” he said, whispering through furrowed eyebrows.

Sora didn’t like to see him like that. Anything other than a smile on Riku felt like some sort of loss. So, with gentle fingers, he poked his forehead. Slowly, he eased the frown in Riku’s face with his fingers. Eventually, Riku let out a laugh.

“What are you even doing?” he asked.

Sora pointed at his own smile. He hoped it was enough for Riku to understand.

‘_Smile!_’

If his blush was anything to go by, Sora took it as a win.

“Riku! You left me all alone at the festival!”

Sora jumped a bit at the loud voice that came from the outside, followed by a loud bang. The door from the front of the little house was slammed open, and Kairi was quick to appear, all race faced and hair a mess.

“Sora wasn’t feeling well,” Riku said with a sigh. He helped Sora get up, who was very eager to cling to Riku’s side once again. “I had to bring him home…Why are you even here?”

“What, you’re not glad your bestie is here to bother you?” she asked with a grin.

“That’s not it,” Riku replied, setting Sora down on the couch once again. Sora’s cheeks got tinted pink when Riku, without word or sign of warning, placed Sora’s leg on top of his. It was comfortable, he couldn’t deny it, but it also felt oddly…intimate. “But I think you were having a lot of fun with that girl in the plaza…”

“She was cute, but so not my type,” Kairi said with a shy laugh. “Besides, you know I can’t _actually_ date anyone.”

“I know,” Riku sighed.

Sora tilted his head, trying to convey how confused he was to the pair. It was Kairi who noticed first, much to his surprise.

“Yeah, our families kinda married us together,” she said with a wobbly smile. “We’re supposed to get married in winter…”

“It’s still not decided,” Riku said. A glare settled on his crystal teal eyes. “If you want you can-”

“You only ever think about what I want,” Kairi’s tone raised. “What about you? Do you want to marry me?”

“You know that’s not the issue-”

“Then what is it?!” Kairi’s voice finally went from quiet to angry.

The silence that followed felt unnervingly unfamiliar. Sora could only stare at his own legs, desperation and claustrophobia running through his veins. Not only from the fact that there was a fight in front of him – he always felt bad when two people raised their voices against each other – but also by the words they had spoken.

Riku…was going to get married?

“It’s an arranged marriage. We don’t have a choice,” he said. “_I _don’t have a choice.”

“Maybe you do,” Kairi said, a glare settled in between her brows. “But you don’t even want to think about it! You expect me to get you out of this mess…”

“Maybe I don’t want you to,” Riku snapped back. “Maybe this is for the best! Maybe we’re meant to be!”

Sora clenched his hand on the broad of his chest. Eyes were fixated on a single point in his vision, but it was slowly getting blurry. The edges getting hazy, only a small tunnel to filter his sight. The all too familiar feeling of panic building up inside his chest began to make it hard to breathe. Sora was heaving, trying to stop the acid that corroded his insides from bubbling up his mouth in the form of a gut-wrenching scream.

He held himself together, shaking in place as Riku and Kairi continued to fight.

Riku…

_Riku_ was going to get married.

He was engaged.

Of course he was! Riku was the most perfect person in the entire world. Land or sea. It made sense that he had a fiancé. Anyone would love to be by his side. To wake up on the same bed, and stare at his sleeping face. Soft features turning mischievous as the day went on and hear that laugh first thing in the morning.

“Sora?” Riku asked. His voice had Sora shivering in delight and agony. It was intermixed, to the point he couldn’t pick apart one from the other. The tears spilled from his eyes. “Sora!? Are you okay!? Did I hurt you!?”

_Yes. _

Sora shook his head as fiercely as he could. The tears brimmed out, splashing everywhere like the flicker of a mermaid’s tail.

Against better judgment, Sora got up and ran to his room. Or well, the room Riku had been kind enough to lend him.

“Wait! Your legs!”

Yeah, they hurt. Ached beyond what could be considered healthy. Yet, it couldn’t compare to the terrifying sensation of a broken heart. It was a pain that wouldn’t go away if you sat down, or if you drank tea and sat close by the one you loved. It was pain that seeped through, integrating into your very skin and flesh, until there was no escape. Trapping you inside your own heart, the desolated pain of lovelorn anguish was so horrible it made Sora break down.

His tears couldn’t stop flowing. And because no sound came from his throat, no one could know just how much he was hurting. All they could see or hear was a guy with tears in his eyes, laying curled up in a bed.

Trembles and hiccups terrorized his body, shaking him to the very core. His face was so wet he could practically feel like he was back underwater. The memory of when he got his legs came flashing by. His lungs unable to grasp air, everything hurting to the point there was nothing he could do more than hold on tight to Namine to dear life.

He was drowning and, this time, no one would come to save him.

* * *

When the morning of the third day came, all Sora could do was wander back to the cove. His legs were heavy with pain, barely able to stan. In a limp, Sora reached for one of the rocks in the farthest part of the cove. From there, he could see what Riku had been working on when Sora sang him their song. A bittersweet smile conquered him, just at the memory.

He stared at the sea, feeling the breeze hit his redden cheeks. His eyes burning, even when there were no more tears left to cry. Puffy and red, with bags underneath. He didn’t want Riku to see him like this, that’s why he came all over to the shore.

“You look awful,” a voice called.

Roxas.

It was reassuring to see a familiar face. Even if, at a close glance, Sora realized he was as much of a mess as Sora. With cheeks covered in traces of tears, and raspy voice.

All he could do was offer a smile. Whether it was reassuring or not, he couldn’t tell. Mostly because Roxas seemed so agitated no amount of smiling would be enough to calm him down.

“Namine told me what happened,” he said, sitting on the rock by Sora’s side. It was strange. The wetness of a body that had previously been so familiar now felt kinda unearthly. Scales that brushed against his skin had such a foreign feeling that it didn’t sit well in Sora’s stomach. “You really gave up your life for a _human_?”

Sora went to hold Roxas' hands. Against slimy fins, the touch felt funny and new. Almost like the touch of someone he didn’t know. He traced the runes of their language on the skin, hoping Roxas could understand them.

It spelled.

‘_I love him’_.

“You’re an idiot, Sora,” he spat, dangerous tears on his eyes.

Sora chuckled.

‘_I know’_.

“What about Xion? You promised to take her sea-shell hunting when the jellyfish season came,” he said.

Sora’s smile faltered. All light behind his eyes fell into complete darkness. He continued to write on Roxas’ hand.

‘_I’ll have to break my promise_,’ it said. ‘_Tell her I’m sorry_.’

“No!” Roxas cried, holding Sora’s hand tightly in his own. “You’re coming back with us!”

_Roxas…_

He mouthed with eyes that were melting in sadness. The desperation from his close friend tearing gashes inside of his already fragile heart.

“You don’t belong here! You need to come back to us!”

It felt true. After all, he was just a fish out of the water, with nothing to hold on to in land. His grasp on human customs was laughable at best, and there was no one for him to rely on aside from Riku…who was getting married in winter.

But despite that.

Going back to the sea felt cruel. He loved the world above. Loved the trees and the flowers, the sound of birds and the shining sun. The sunsets and the smell of fresh grass. He loved ice-cream too.

He was sure Roxas would too.

And even then, there were so many things he wanted to do still. Ask Riku what his favorite ice cream flavor was. If he liked seagrass or not. Maybe climb a mountain or a tree, like he had seen some kids do. 

He had explored so little…Going back to the sea…To him, that would mean going back to longingly stare at the shore, every day of his life.

“Here,” Roxas said. “Namine said this could help.”

Sora’s eyes widened at the sight.

A knife.

Made out of silver, with a beautiful handle and deadly cut. Sora moved away from it, but Roxas just drew it closer.

“She says it can help break the spell,” Roxas said. “If you use this to kill the human, then you can return home!”

Sora stared at Roxas.

Kill…Riku?

He immediately shook his head, bringing his hands to his chest so he couldn’t possibly touch the knife. No! What was Roxas thinking?!

“It’s your only chance, Sora!” Roxas insisted. “You’ll die if you don’t take it!”

_Doesn’t matter!_ He wanted to shout.

“Please, Sora…” Roxas begged. His voice was breaking, and Sora had to close his eyes so as to not give in. “…I don’t want to lose you…”

The sobs of his friend echoed in the cove. Sora’s arms went to hug Roxas, who seemed to crumble down unto his touch. Sora knew his decision was selfish. His life wasn’t just his. His friend and family…they were all back home. Knowing that he, one day decided to disappear like this…it would break their hearts. Xion would never go sea-shell picking with him again, Roxas would never come to this cove again, even Namine might feel guilty for letting this happen.

But it was still _his_ decision. One he didn’t regret. There was no way he could live if he harmed Riku in any way. And knowing he got to spend three beautiful days with him, filled with laughter and sunlight…well.

It was worth it.

Every single bit of it.

He let Roxas cry on his shoulder, glad the hiccups were slowly fading away with every moment that went through. By the time he had stopped crying, Sora was soaking wet, but couldn’t bring himself to care.

With nimble fingers, he wrote on Roxas’ skin.

‘_Better?_’

“Would be better if you decided to come back to us,” Roxas said dryly, a sniffle escaping him. Sora’s watered-down smile made Roxas sigh. “Yeah, I know…”

‘_I love you, Roxas,_’ he spelled on his arm. ‘_Be safe_.’

“I’ll miss you so much, you big dumb idiot,” Roxas said, and went for a hug one last time, bringing their bodies so close together it felt like they’d fuse in any instant.

Sora closed his eyes, enjoying the moments of peace that were before the storm brewing through came.

* * *

There, on top of a rock by the cove, was sitting his angel. The cold breeze of the ocean traveling through his hair. Riku stared. It was the only thing he felt like he could do when such a beautiful sight was before him. His own heart was racing, cheeks flushed from having to run all through the village just searching for Sora. He had panicked to an unhealthy degree when he had woken up and the boy was nowhere to be seen.

Was he going to disappear into the air just like that? Was he gonna lose him too?

Even his small fight with Kairi had been completely forgotten as soon as the boy was missing. Quick to tell her to help him search, they’d wiped clean the village from top to bottom.

But here he was. Safe. Heavenly. Looking towards the sea like it was calling him home. It took a no brainer for him to cut the distance by walking through the water.

“Next time you disappear on me like that, I’ll chain you up to the house,” Riku said, breathless as he reached for the rock. “Sora?”

The boy wasn’t staring at him. He was staring still at the horizon, where the sun was beginning to bleed into a sunset. The faintest tints of red were in the clouds, just as the two of them stared at it. 

The hands of the boy went to touch his throat. A nostalgic feeling settled inside Riku, as Sora stared at the sea with a yearning, he couldn’t quite place.

When he finally turned to see Riku, the tears of stardust that fell from his eyes shone like crystals into the sea. A hand, gentle against his cheek and a silhouette that rested upon the sun.

A song. One he couldn’t hear, but his heart remembered. It was playing through the invisible air, even though it was only Riku who could hear it.

It was _their_ song.

Sora reached forward, planting the softest of kisses on Riku’s forehead. Fleeting, like peaches and sunlight, so utterly soft and sweet that it had Riku closing his eyes just to enjoy the feeling for a few seconds more.

Then, the salty taste of tears.

In shock, Riku opened his eyes.

Sora was standing now, right before him. His smile. It was filled with so many things Riku couldn’t even begin to decipher them. Sora was trying to tell him so many things through a single expression that Riku was having trouble processing just even one.

‘-------’

He mouthed something. Riku blinked, unsure if he had read Sora’s lips correctly, or if it was just the light playing tricks on him. If it was real, then Riku would have surged forwards and hold Sora’s hand promising to never let go.

But he couldn’t tell. So, he stayed, frozen in place as Sora took a few steps backward.

‘_Thanks_,’ he mouthed.

In slow motion, Riku saw Sora throw himself unto the sea. His body reacted almost in autopilot, reaching to grab Sora by the wrist. Pull him out of the water because, with his legs so weak, there was no way he could be able to swim-…

But just as he grabbed the hem of the shirt, Sora was gone.

All that was left in the sea were bubbles and foam, decorating it in a somber delirium.

“…Sora?”

Riku’s voice felt lost in the endless sea. Alone and tiny, unable to compete with the ocean who had taken away his beloved angel.

In his hands, the only thing to remind him of Sora was the shirt he had been wearing a few seconds ago. His hand trembled as he held it.

This had to be a cruel joke. How could he have lost him? Just a few seconds ago, he had been there. With his infinite smile, and ocean eyes. Precious messy hair, and fingers so warm pressed against Riku’s skin.

There’s a legend that says the ocean was created by a man who lost his most important person. He wept for three fortnights and forty-three days. His cries created thunder, and his salty tears were the ones who created the sea.

It was a silly story to entertain kids. Once Kairi loved and Riku found sappy.

But perhaps a man could fill the ocean with tears. Because just as he felt Sora slip past his fingertips, disappear right before his eyes with nothing left to hold on to…Riku’s despair felt so much bigger than the sea. Deeper, darker, colder on its cruelty.

The tears mixed in with the saltwater, the aching pain that throbbed in his chest. A cry rippled through his throat, echoing through the waves, traveling through the tides.

“Give him back!” was what he cried, falling to his knees. The only thing he could hit was the sand. Which no matter how much it was hit, thanks to the water, would return to its original place. The anger that bubbled up inside Riku only grew at that. How dare they act as nothing happened? Erasing any evidence that he was mourning. That his angel, his siren, his dearly beloved had vanished into thin air?

Was fate really as cruel as to grant him the first real taste of love, and then steal it right from his hands?

He cried and cried until the night came. It was Kairi who found him, still hitting the sand, cursing the sea and its gods. The way he clung to the shirt that used to be Sora’s was enough of a clue for her. Even if the details varied, one truth remained.

The ocean had stolen his sky away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sora: what do you have there?
> 
> Roxas: a knIFE
> 
> Sora: nO
> 
> —
> 
> Man this took me a while! I was so happy to write this. It relaxed me a lot for some reason. Writing angst is kinda therapeutic in a way? 
> 
> So yeah...the original little mermaid doesn’t end as sweetly as the Disney version...I thought translating that same sense of hopelessness but bittersweet taste in your mouth was the best option.
> 
> The next chapter will be more or less Riku coping with Sora gone. Let’s just say he doesn’t know 
> 
> Also, side note: I kinda re-made my LH side account if anyone got weirded out. I’m @witchsora in twitter if u wanna drop by and say hi


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUYS GUYS GUUUUUUUUYSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!! the beautiful @kahazel_ made fanart for the fic!!! it's so absolutely gorgeous please go check it out before reading the update!!!
> 
> https://twitter.com/kahazel_/status/1175486901471666182?s=20

It was as if a part of his soul had been ripped apart. A hole too big to fill, in the endless night. Coldness against his skin, after the taste of the warm sun laying on his side. The echoing emotions of the dark spell of oblivion in his hands.

Sometimes, he dreamt of him. Sora’s smile, the ocean in his eyes. A stretched-out hand and a promise for adventure beyond what land could see. It was only in dreams that he found peace. A petite hand against his, and suddenly there was light again. In his life, in his eyes, in his very core of the world.

He couldn’t help it when he reached out, wrapping his arms into Sora. Clinging to his frame, like a sailor would to land. The relief washing over his body, even if for just a moment.

‘_I love you,’ _a whisper.

The image then overlapped with the one of _that night_. When through the winds of the angry ocean, he had thought he saw Sora mouth those same words. As if on cue, the world vanished. Riku woke up.

And Sora was gone.

* * *

He spent most nights crying. Not out loud, at least. Instead, he sat on the bed where Sora used to stay, watching more than reading the notepad he had left behind. The scribbles could barely be understood. But he still traced them, hoping there a chance he'd understand. He’d lie in bed, staring at the ceiling and thinking. Letting his heart mourn, letting it cry while all he did was stare.

If the nights were too dark, he’d let tears roll down his cheeks. The grip on the notepad tightened, and he felt his breath quickened. Those nights were harder. All he did was try not to break down, holding together the last pieces of his heart that he still had.

Not much worked after midnight. The world was too dark, too filled with nightmares. His mind would wander into a part where he couldn’t come back from. So, he closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep.

Although the pain was agonizing, sleep was kind and came quick during those nights.

Kairi had grown worried, as she always did. She never stopped worrying about him, not even after he had insisted he could do just fine on his own. Deep down, she knew him well. Of the pain he carried, even before Sora appeared in his life. She knew of his constant need to please his parents and had insisted he stood up for himself. That’s why she refused to break off the engagement.

“You need to tell them yourself!” she had proclaimed. “It’s your life Riku! Tell them that you don’t want to get married!”

He couldn’t bring himself to do it. The hassle seemed too big. Fighting his parents would be annoying. They’d ask questions he didn’t want to answer. It was better to play along until the very last minute…

And then run away.

The raft had been his last attempt to be free. Escape before they could force him into something he hated. Runaway from a world that didn’t understand him. Explore what laid beyond the horizon and leave behind his futile responsibilities.

At least, until he met Sora. 

Someone who hadn’t been running away from something, but towards something. A clear objective in his mind, wanting to do everything to reach for it. What it was, he didn’t know. No matter if he asked, no answer would come from his lips. But he could see the glint in his eyes. The yearning and love for something beyond his reach

That alone had been enough to take his breath away.

And everything else?

It had been inevitable. Cascading through his body, unable to be stopped. His smile, his eyes, his excitement and love for life. Riku had been spellbound the moment he met him. No force on earth could have prevented him from falling in love.

_Fastly. Madly. Deeply._

But because he had been running away. Because he couldn’t chase after what he wanted…Sora was gone. Leaving him alone in a world that no longer had that shimmer of light Sora had brought with him.

He was back to a bleak, day by day life, with little tune or melody.

The raft was still unfinished. The winter days were nearing. And Riku’s heart was numb. The pain engulfed it, eating it and spitting it out.

If he finished the raft, where would he go?

The answer kept coming back to him, like a taunting whisper of the deep sea.

_To where Sora is. _

Into the sea, following bubbles that had long disappeared into the nothing wake. A current, nothing more than a hallucination of a bad dream.

And as he stared into the cove from the mountain above, he realized…

That’s probably how the story goes.

Standing on top of the rocks at the edge of the cove, Riku took in a deep breath. His mind wandered back to his parents. Their desire for a kid that would marry a girl, not ever knowing they couldn’t have it. To Kairi, who wanted him to be free. But she never understood what it was to be bound to a fate ruled by tragedy. To his raft, that laid untouched by the cove. How many worlds would it have taken him to? Would it have been enough to reach beyond the horizon? It most likely wouldn’t. But the fantasies of a young child couldn’t be easily erased.

And finally, to Sora.

His chest ached and swelled, both in pain and hope. A promise to meet him again, to someday reach for the same star. A dreadful wish of seeing his smile once again, sharing a dream and intertwining hands under the oak tree.

It gave him the strength to finally take the step forward, letting his body sink into the endless sea.

He didn’t turn to bubbles. He was human, after all. And all he could do was sink. Slow and painfully, as he watched the sky through the haze of underwater filters. Coldness buried its fangs unto his body, unrelenting and cruel. The needles that pierced his lung as the filled with water, made him wince and grow sleepier with the minute.

The weight of the world was getting lifted off his shoulders, as he finally closed his eyes. The reflection of the sunlight on the water almost looked like Sora through his eyelids. And if there was a kind God somewhere, perhaps it would allow him to dream of him one last time.

* * *

His head was pounding, dull ache spreading through. The light of the sun and the salt of the sea stinging his eyes. Riku tried to breathe in, but his chest hurt. Was death supposed to be this painful?

No.

A warm hand against his cold skin. A soft touch, feather-like in its gentleness, tracing delicate circled on his cheeks. Fingers went to move stray strands of hair from his eyes, letting Riku finally see a silhouette through half-lidded eyes.

He recognized that smile.

Was he in heaven?

When the lips of the smile parted, and a familiar song came through, Riku realized that yes. He was in heaven. Being held in the arms of his angel, careful and loving, as he had in life.

He let himself be enveloped by the voice. Clear like the water of the Caribbean, crystal and pure. The sweetness of the everlasting melody carrying his worries and pain away. He didn’t dare to close his eyes, afraid that the image before him would vanish as soon as he did.

“_My Dearly Beloved… be strong, I shall be there…_” Sora’s voice. His mermaid’s voice. So precious and kind, singing with the ocean breeze. “_…Always here beside you…So, keep your head held high…_”

As if following the words, the hands reached underneath his chin, making him look up. Directly into blue eyes that hid a rainbow of emotions that wouldn’t stop calling for him. With weak arms, Riku reached to hold Sora’s face in his hands.

A chocked-out sob came from his throat when Sora nuzzled back into it.

The distant sound of barking came from the far away distance, breaking the spell. Sora turned away from Riku, getting away in a hurried movement.

Which Riku, in deep panic, was quick to follow. His hands went to grab Sora by the shoulders, bringing the boy into a tight hug. The smell of the ocean, salt against his nose. The warmth of his body, and the light from his eyes. It was Sora, right there and then. And no matter what anyone said or did, he wouldn’t be letting go.

The tears were streaming down his face, without his full control. His hands trembled against Sora’s frame, face buried in the small shoulder blade, breathing in as much of Sora’s scent as he could. A reminder that he was there.

That he wouldn’t drift away in a puddle of bubbles.

“What in the name of hell were you thinking, you big dumb idi-,” Kairi’s yells just made his head throb more. The echo of the pain flooding his brain. Luckily for him, she stopped mid-sentence. “…S-sora?”

Her voice cracked.

Riku finally dared to open his eyes. Realization dawning on him that this was not a hallucination. This wasn’t heaven. This was real.

As real could be.

“I’m sorry,” Sora’s voice. Riku looked up, just in time to meet Sora’s periwinkle eyes shining like the morning star. “Do I…know you?”

“You don’t remember us?” Kairi called with breathless voice.

Sora looked down to the sand, eyes guilt-ridden as he tugged the ends of a make-shift dress. Sora found them to be as expressive as he last remembered. Full of life, full of love.

“I’m sorry…” he murmured. “I can’t…remember much.”

“You don’t even know my name?” Kairi asked with a sad smile.

Slowly, Sora shook his head.

“What about his?” Kairi huffed out a bitter laugh. “Do you remember this big old dummy clinging to you like a baby?”

Riku would have felt offended, were it not a spot-on description of how he felt and looked. And like a big old dummy, he clung to Sora eve harder at her words. 

“I’m…not sure,” Sora said, brows furrowing as he blinked slowly. “I _feel_ like I know you…We’ve met before, right?”

Riku nodded.

“Yeah, we did,” Riku said. “More than once.”

“I’ll go get the doctor, you’re hallucinating,” Kairi said. “Can I trust you two won’t run off as soon as I leave?”

“I can try,” Riku shrugged. Kairi let out a sigh.

“Good enough as I’ll get,” she said with a slight shake of her head.

When Kairi was finally out into the distance, Riku turned to stare at Sora once again.

“Your voice is back,” Riku said. “You were the mermaid in the cove. The one that saved me.”

“I’m sorry,” Sora replied, eyes drifting away. “I don’t know what you’re talking about…I don’t remember that.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Riku replied in a breathless whisper. “You’re here right now. That’s all I care about.”

“You’re kind, Riku,” Sora said, his smile of morning dew softly settling on his peach tinted lips.

_He knows my name. _

The taste of lemon sweet in his mouth. The bitterness of being forgotten, intermixed with the sweetness of Sora still knowing his name. Even if all the memories they had created together were washed away like the sand in the sea, Riku couldn’t bring himself to cry too much about it.

After all, Sora was right there by his side. That alone, more than a miracle, it was a gift from God.

His own precious angel, back in his arms. Fitting just as perfectly, being just as precious. Riku’s hands didn’t hold back and reached to grab Sora’s fingers. Intertwined, they stayed close until Kairi came back with a doctor, and they returned to land to live their lives.

* * *

“How did you do it?” Roxas asked, sitting on the Rock where Sora would stare at Riku from. Naminé, the little octopus witch, was sitting on the arch of rocks, staring off at the shore.

“I didn’t do much,” she confessed. Her little tentacles were curling up and down the rocks in silent excitement.

“I saw him turn into bubbles, Naminé,” Roxas said with a glare. 

“That wasn't much,” Naminé said, smile falling. “I just held him together, halfway alive through the lasts bits of magic from his voice I still had…I didn’t know for how long, but it was worth a try…”

“Then what happened?”

“I told you,” she replied with an evening smile. “True love can do and undo any spell…”

“But the idiot didn’t kiss Sora,” Roxas commented.

“True love is more than kisses, Roxas,” Naminé laughed in mischievous glee. “I think…Sora’s love was true. He loved Riku above his own life…And even after his body had vanished...His heart still wanted to be with him!”

“And Riku was the same…” Roxas mused, flipping his tail in the water.

“When Riku jumped into the ocean, Sora’s soul reached out,” Naminé said, a giggle escaping him. “It wanted so badly to save him that it transformed back into a human! It used its own memories in trade for a chance to be with him again! Isn’t it romantic?”

Roxas stared at the shore, where his best friend was. His smile was intact, perfectly bright as it had been before. Sora wouldn’t be remembering Roxas. Or anyone underneath the sea for the matter. His life belonged to land now. And while it was lonely…Knowing Sora was safe, and that Riku would protecting him allowed him to breathe in peace. To stare at the wide ocean and think that maybe, one day, things would come back to normal.

“You know…Although his memories are gone…his heart still remembers,” Naminé said. “And yours are connected too. You’re friends after all. I’m sure someday, your paths will meet again.”

Roxas let out a bitter laugh, followed by the sweetest tears he had shed.

“I know,” he whispered against the salty breeze. “It’s Sora…I wouldn’t be able to shake him off, even if I wanted.”

Despite his words, Naminé didn’t miss the way relief washed over Roxas' eyes. Tears poured down like an endless stream, as sobs were chocked out. It didn’t feel right to speak, so all Naminé did was continue staring at the two humans chatting on the shore.

* * *

“Miss! Miss!” the voice of a little girl called from the door.

“Yes, my dear?” a grown woman replied from the cabin in the edge of the village.

“Is it true you know the story of The Mermaid's Cove?!” the little girl asked, eyes filled in excitement.

“That silly old story?” the woman asked, reaching to place a pair of cups of tea on the table. The little girl took a seat, waiting patiently for the lady to continue. “You wanna hear it again?”

“I do!” the little girl exclaimed. “I came all the way here! They say you know the _true_ story.”

“Is that what everyone says?” the woman asked, raising an eyebrow. “Well…I guess it would make me good to remember how it goes...”  


> _The story goes, that a mermaid fell in love with a human. They met in a cove, where they build their own paradise. A place hidden from the world, where they could love each other without the judging eyes casting their glares towards them. And while they loved each other very much, the mermaid wanted to be with his beloved forever. So, she traded her tongue for a pair of human legs and travelled to visit his lover._
> 
> _However, the legs didn’t last long. And he was forced to return to the sea, upon knowing the human would be marrying soon. The human then rushed to the ocean, begging heaven and earth to return that which was most precious to them._
> 
> _Heaven, taking pity on the poor human’s pleas, decided to return the mermaid back to earth. They granted him back his legs. They reunited in the cove they first met, sealing their love with a true love’s kiss._
> 
> _And you see, that same cove is the one in this village. Yeah, the one we call “The Mermaid’s Cove”. Yes, yes, my dear. That cove._
> 
> _Legend says, that if you share your first kiss in the cove, your hearts will be forever bound to the other. But if you kiss by the rocks, were the Mermaid and his Lover got separated, your love will die in a week._
> 
> _Yeah, I know. It’s kinda scary! But I also think it’s romantic. Don’t you? Oh, look at the time! I need to meet some friends at the port today!_
> 
> _Hmm? Who are they? Oh, they’re just some old friends. They went travelling into the sea when were younger. I’m so glad they made it back! I was getting worried! They never write! They’re too busy staring at each other’s eyes to send their friend Kairi a letter!_
> 
> _Really, I ought to give them a piece of mind when I see them!_

* * *

Sora closed his eyes, enjoying the breeze of the ocean in his face as he stepped inside the ship. It felt strange going back, when he had spent the last couple months wandering through the deserts and climbing mountains. Exploring a world he had never thought he could see. By the hand of a man, he loved more than anything else in the world.

And while he loved being able to trace his hands on the sweet water of lakes and see with his own two eyes how trees grew as tall as the sky…There was a comforting familiarity to stepping back unto the sea. Smell the salt in the air, and breathe in the delicious humid breeze.

A laugh made him open his eyes, and he stared back to see Riku standing on the boat too.

“You really enjoy the ocean, don’t you?” Riku asked placing a small notebook on top of Sora’s head.

“Of course, I do!” he said with a smile. “It reminds me of home!”

“Home, huh?” Riku wondered. “It’s been a while since we’ve gone back. Do you want to?”

“Not yet,” Sora hummed, hands going to pick up the notebook that Riku had put on his head. “What’s this?”

“Ah, I found it in a bunch of old books Kairi sent,” Riku replied. “It’s your old notepad…But I don’t think you remember it.”

Sora frowned. He really didn’t. The memories never came back. What his life had been before he met Riku and Kairi in the cove…It was all a mystery. One that, no matter how much they tried to explain, he couldn’t understand. The pieces were there, but they didn’t quite fit. It was a jumbled mess, and he wasn’t sure if the little bits of memory he thought he had, were even real. Sometimes they felt more like a scattered dream than far-off memories.

But there were hidden feelings. Things that just…felt right. Like the way Riku had held his hand during their walk back to the village. And sitting underneath an oak tree to eat lemon and mango ice cream. Or how the lyrics of a song he never remembered just spilled out his mouth.

It all just, belonged. Perfectly imperfect. Marvellous like an unknown tune.

He couldn’t remember. But his heart did.

And just like all of those little bits that formed his treasured not-quite-there memories of Riku…The notepad felt the same.

He opened it, reading the messages in them. They were scribbles mostly. In a language, he didn’t know the name of. But he _could_ understand it. Not read it, per se. But understand it.

What was written was, mostly a one-sided conversation. A lot was mostly faded, and there was not much he could make sense of.

Except for the very last page. It had a message he understood, and it hadn’t faded with time.

_‘Thank Naminé’_ it read.

“Who’s Naminé?” Sora asked. But there came no reply. Riku had never mentioned her, so he wouldn’t know, right?

And even then…how could he even thank her? Who was she?

“Is something wrong?” Riku asked.

“I need paper and a bottle,” Sora said, looking up from the notepad. “Please?”

Riku stared at his with eskeptism but did as he was told and searched in the ship for paper and a bottle. Sora was quick to write down “Thank you, Naminé” and place the little message in the bottle, hoping the seven sea’s breeze would take it to the place it needed to be. He threw the bottle into the sea. With a deep breath, a yell followed.

“Thank you, Naminé!” he screamed into the ocean. Everyone in the surrounding area was staring, but Sora didn’t care. He had to thank her! He really owed her a lot; he just knew it…

“Charming,” Riku grinned from his side. “Care to explain?”

“The notepad said I should thank her,” Sora replied.

“Wait, you mean you can understand this?” Riku blinked. “They weren’t just scribbles?”

“It’s some sort of language, but I can’t read it properly anymore,” Sora answered with a shrug. “Wonder what it meant…”

Riku held his hand as they stared towards the sea. A smile tugged at Sora’s lips, and the itchiness in his throat began to grow. There it was again. The urge to sing. Held firmly inside, never abandoning him whenever he was with Riku.

Through thick and thin, they had spent a year together. Travelling through the world, just like they both had wanted. Side by side, holding the other’s hand.

Sora hummed out their song, lyrics spilling like golden coins as the ship began setting sail.

“_The shadows of this world…Will try to steal you away into their arms,”_ with precious glittery voice, he sang. Riku’s hand cupped his cheek, bring their face closer.

Sora’s heart beat loudly, soaring in an endless sky. Happy at last, forever bound to his dearly beloved. He closed his eyes, listening to how Riku finished the song.

_“…But you belong in mine_.”

With that single promise of a song, they close the gap.

A kiss. A true love’s kiss. Potent enough to do and undo any kind of spell. Sora now knew what the words meant, even if he didn’t remember who had said them.

Just a taste of Riku’s lips was enough to knock all the air off his lungs. It gave him the strength to face the world. A happiness that overflowed inside his chest, until there was nothing but love for Riku in it.

The ocean air floating through them, carrying flowers of land and sand of the sea. They laughed against the other’s lips. Tears forming in both because perhaps it wasn’t perfect.

But it was their happily ever after. And that alone, was more than enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> /throws sparkles into the air/ 
> 
> i really didnt want to end this one in a tragedy. I was originally going to leave it at, "riku jumped into the ocean and died the end" but as i was brainstorming the idea of sora losing his memories of riku seemed to be a better ending. mostly because i do not enjoy soriku tragedy. i really dont. despite what last time's ending led you to believe. 
> 
> i wanted to make it sadder...with you know sora losing his memories. To fit the bitter-sweet tragedy of the original little mermaid...but i couldnt so here this. 
> 
> oh and btw thats a lil easter egg? riku keeps calling sora an angel because in the original little mermaid, she transforms into an angel at the end of the story. 
> 
> SO that wraps up this project! Im glad i finished it because now i want to move on to other projects. Hopefully better than this...because i still feel like im just playing around with ideas and characters, and im not quite skilled enough with handling them to create ALL i want to. I'll ramble more about it @lolicoded if you want to see me have an existential crisis over what the hell i should write next.
> 
> so, yeah...thank you a lot of reading. it really meat a lot to share this journey with you.

**Author's Note:**

> this cost me blood. i am genuinely so tired and unsure of this i feel like crying. writer's anxiety is real. 
> 
> I really wanted to do a "little mermaid" kind of story. i feel more at ease whenever im creating fairytales for some reason. There's something so good about describing magic and feelings, yknow? im not entirely proud of this one. i dont think a lot of people will even read it. But if i manage to finish it...i'd be very happy.


End file.
